Time to get comfy!
It's undeniable, and I have accepted it, summer, and I mean real summer, is over. Sure there are some gorgeous days ahead, sunny days that reach high 70's, even low 80's, but even these days have a distinct fall feeling about them. They aren't the sweltering days of July or the perfectly warm nights of August, no, it's definitely September.
Not that there's anything wrong with that! I happen to love September! For me it strikes a perfect balance of what I love most, perfectly warm days, crisp cool nights, an ample bounty of produce still coming in and lots of football on tv!
It's a very cozy time of year. Those chilly evenings have me reaching for a sweatshirt and pulling on a pair of jeans, especially since all of my windows are open to let the cool air in. I embrace it by shifting my cooking and wine-drinking style during these months. A yearning for comfort food and richer styles of wine are unavoidable! Sure, I'm still drinking crisp whites and rosés, but some luscious reds have started to show up in my glass a bit more frequently. Also, my light summery dishes have been drifting away and warm, soulful ones have been coming to the forefront.
Check out what's been going on in my kitchen this September....
Eggplant, Mozzarella, and Saffron Rice Bake (from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup arborio rice
Pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth or water
Kosher salt
3 large eggplants (about 3 pounds), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups store-bought tomato sauce (such as marinara), divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (4 ounces), divided
Preparation:
Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in saffron, then wine. Cook until wine reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Add broth; season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is very al dente and still crunchy, about 6 minutes; remove pan from heat.
Meanwhile, divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets, overlapping slightly to fit. Drizzle 1 cup oil over; season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella over, then 1/3 of Parmesan.
Cover with a layer of eggplant rounds, overlapping so no sauce is visible beneath them. Add saffron rice, spreading out in an even layer. Sprinkle over another 1/3 each of mozzarella and Parmesan, then 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce and another layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover dish with foil; transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to set before serving.
This, partnered with a green salad, crusty bread and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, was perfection. A perfectly satisfying dinner. I drank the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Sciarpa, with its lovely aromas of wet mossy earth, violets, and wild berries, it fully accentuated the coziness of this meal.
Gruyere Grilled Cheese with a fall salad (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style white bread
8 ounces Gruyère, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 cups arugula
1/2 apple (such as Pink Lady or Fuji), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over high heat. When butter begins to foam, add shallots and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula, until shallots begin to soften and caramelize, 4–5 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, add 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl in pan to melt butter and coat bottom of pan. Add 2 slices of bread to pan and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 2–3 minutes. Transfer bread, toasted side down, to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices. Divide cheese evenly among bread slices; top cheese with reserved shallots.
Place baking sheet in oven and bake until cheese is melted, 7–8 minutes.
Place vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into a blender. Pulse to combine, then add the olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running.
Combine arugula, apple slices and vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss to coat and evenly distribute. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
Press 2 pieces of bread together, melted cheese sides in; halve sandwich on a diagonal and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining bread slices. Divide salad between plates.
This paired up beautifully with a ripe Carignan, Grenache and Syrah blend from Corbieres like the Chateau Ollieux Romanis. It was deeply cozy and made for an excellent meal while watching Thursday Night Football.
I'm not giving up on summer completely and I'm not head first into fall, I'm in the ideal compromise zone where flip flops meet sweaters, comfort foods are full of late summer veggies, and I can enjoy wine in every shade, (while watching football)! It's really the best time of year!
Not that there's anything wrong with that! I happen to love September! For me it strikes a perfect balance of what I love most, perfectly warm days, crisp cool nights, an ample bounty of produce still coming in and lots of football on tv!
It's a very cozy time of year. Those chilly evenings have me reaching for a sweatshirt and pulling on a pair of jeans, especially since all of my windows are open to let the cool air in. I embrace it by shifting my cooking and wine-drinking style during these months. A yearning for comfort food and richer styles of wine are unavoidable! Sure, I'm still drinking crisp whites and rosés, but some luscious reds have started to show up in my glass a bit more frequently. Also, my light summery dishes have been drifting away and warm, soulful ones have been coming to the forefront.
Check out what's been going on in my kitchen this September....
Eggplant, Mozzarella, and Saffron Rice Bake (from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup arborio rice
Pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth or water
Kosher salt
3 large eggplants (about 3 pounds), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups store-bought tomato sauce (such as marinara), divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (4 ounces), divided
Preparation:
Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in saffron, then wine. Cook until wine reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Add broth; season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is very al dente and still crunchy, about 6 minutes; remove pan from heat.
Meanwhile, divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets, overlapping slightly to fit. Drizzle 1 cup oil over; season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella over, then 1/3 of Parmesan.
Cover with a layer of eggplant rounds, overlapping so no sauce is visible beneath them. Add saffron rice, spreading out in an even layer. Sprinkle over another 1/3 each of mozzarella and Parmesan, then 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce and another layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover dish with foil; transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to set before serving.
This, partnered with a green salad, crusty bread and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, was perfection. A perfectly satisfying dinner. I drank the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Sciarpa, with its lovely aromas of wet mossy earth, violets, and wild berries, it fully accentuated the coziness of this meal.
Gruyere Grilled Cheese with a fall salad (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style white bread
8 ounces Gruyère, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 cups arugula
1/2 apple (such as Pink Lady or Fuji), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over high heat. When butter begins to foam, add shallots and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula, until shallots begin to soften and caramelize, 4–5 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, add 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl in pan to melt butter and coat bottom of pan. Add 2 slices of bread to pan and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 2–3 minutes. Transfer bread, toasted side down, to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices. Divide cheese evenly among bread slices; top cheese with reserved shallots.
Place baking sheet in oven and bake until cheese is melted, 7–8 minutes.
Place vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into a blender. Pulse to combine, then add the olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running.
Combine arugula, apple slices and vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss to coat and evenly distribute. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
Press 2 pieces of bread together, melted cheese sides in; halve sandwich on a diagonal and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining bread slices. Divide salad between plates.
This paired up beautifully with a ripe Carignan, Grenache and Syrah blend from Corbieres like the Chateau Ollieux Romanis. It was deeply cozy and made for an excellent meal while watching Thursday Night Football.
I'm not giving up on summer completely and I'm not head first into fall, I'm in the ideal compromise zone where flip flops meet sweaters, comfort foods are full of late summer veggies, and I can enjoy wine in every shade, (while watching football)! It's really the best time of year!
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